Between Breaths
by starlite-decay
Summary: An alternate ending to the Avengers movie. Loki escapes, disguised as a mortal. When a certain billionaire playboy takes interest in him, how long will he be able to keep up the charade until he's found out? Loki/Tony. Mentions of Loki/Thor.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Human behave yourself,_

_You have burst out at the seams_

_Let it all fall out, open your mouth_

_Often I lie wide awake,_

_Think of things I can make_

_But I don't seem to have the parts to build them..._

It hadn't been an easy task, escaping what those around him called 'justice.' Anyone who didn't know him intimately would think he had improvised at the last second, in an act of pure cunning. But Loki had a fail-safe planned during the entire battle in Manhattan. He knew that if he created a safety net, it would drain much of his magic from him and that could cost him in battle. However, he also knew that if his Chitauri army was defeated, that he would be taken back to Asgard to be punished severely for his crimes. And who would beg mercy for a monster?

The plan itself was fairly simple. He had made a copy of himself. One of miraged flesh that was capable of speech. Thor never had been able to tell the difference between one of his illusions and the real thing. But then again, Thor could never tell when anything wasn't real, like his twisted idea that he could love someone of Midgard. Loki knew better. They were both leagues above any of the humans that lived on this planet. Thor was meant to be a king, not a glorified guardian for those as weak-minded as humanity. Loki knew this to be true, yet he also knew that Thor was not as clever as he was, and so Thor had taken into his custody a clone. The trickster only wished that he could have been there to see the look on his brother's face when it had dissipated upon arrival at the Bifrost.

With the last of his magic, he had changed his appearance to that of a Midgardian. He was still the same height and just as lean as he was in his previous form. The real differences were in his face. His bone structure had become more square, no longer the long elegance that it normally was. Instead of his long, black locks, he had gone for a more modern look (by Midgardian standards) with hair that was medium-length, a mop of black curls. His nose had become slightly wider but his complexion stayed the same. When he had left the Stark building, he had stolen some clothes from the drawers of Iron Man himself. It had taken him a few minutes to find something besides suits and band t-shirts. He went to a mirror to examine his work. The plain black t-shirt fit snug onto his frame perfectly. The jeans he had grabbed however, were a bit short. They hung almost an inch above his ankle. But no matter. It wasn't as though he were going anywhere important. Just running away for his freedom, that's all.

He leaned in towards the mirror and stroked his newly formed chin. It had a tiny bit of stubble. Loki supposed he was what some would call 'classically handsome.' The corners of his mouth slipped into a smirk. The fools. How could they honestly believe that they could capture him? His moment ended suddenly when he realized something very crucial to his disguise: his eyes. They were the same as they normally were. The same shape, same color, same... everything! He snarled at his own reflection for the incompetence. If anyone of the Avengers came within five feet of him, they would surely be able to tell! Especially Thor or the archer, whose mind he had haunted. Loki began looting through all the drawers in Stark's bedroom. He had to find something there, perhaps the ridiculous sunwear that humans always wore. He found a pair of metal eyeglasses in a drawer that contained a variety of items and decided those would work. He put them on and squinted. Everything was slightly blurred, but not to the point of being incapacitated. While heading to the stairs, he threw on some ridiculous-looking sandals, because he was certain that most people on Midgard didn't walk through a busy city barefoot.

After going down what seemed like a hundred flights of stairs (Loki had lost count) he ran into a police officer. He froze, reaching deep within him for a magic that wasn't there and for a moment began to feel a sense of panic. The officer made a gesture towards him. Not one of apprehension or deceit, but of concern.

"Sir, the exit is this way! Are ya hurt at all?" The man's accent was very New York. Loki blinked several times, before coming to his senses and shaking his head. "Then come on, you'll be safe out this way."

Loki exited through a heavy metal door that was labeled for emergency use only. There was no longer any chaos. People were emerging from restaurants, bookstores, and all the other places they had sought refuge. He moved forward into the forming crowds as to not look strange. At that moment, he felt that his brother and his friends had found his decoy. When the Avengers emerged from the building, the people burst into applause and cries of thanks. Loki did nothing. He watched intensely as his double, who had his hands tied and mouth gagged, was lead by Thor towards an awaiting aircraft. No doubt to speak to the human he took orders from asking to take Loki to Asgard instead. Loki sneered. Given the choice, he would have rather been taken to a human prison. He knew that his brother was delusioned that Odin would be kind with his judgment. He watched the aircraft fade into the distance. Even after, the crowd still cheered.

Despite his initial fears that he wouldn't fit the part of a Midgardian, or even be able to find food, the city was actually the ideal place for him to be at the moment. Due to the immense damage the battle had caused, there were many people without shelter. The city had opened up a few places for people to stay. One of them was a high school gymnasium that was filled with cots for the homeless to sleep on. The locker room showers were available for use at any time and there were small meals provided in the cafeteria. What surprised Loki is that this was all free. Even the people there that tended to them worked as volunteers. In a sad thought, he realized that he hadn't been treated so kindly in quite a long time. He tried to be as quiet and self-contained as possible. The humans who had lost their homes were incredibly friendly to one another. He was often asked what he had lost in the chaos that took place only a few days before. Loki would always give the same reply: "Everything."

Loki had been incredibly weakened after the battle. To anyone there, he would seem perfectly healthy. But being as healthy as a human was weak in itself. He had never been this drained of power before and wondered how long it would take before he would be able to be himself again. Loki pushed the thought from his mind. It would be unwise to return to his Asgardian form so soon. Surely the Avengers were still looking for him? He had heard no news of his escape. It was probably withheld from the populous in order to uphold the current good image of the government and to prevent any panic. With each passing day, Loki found himself bored. He wandered around the city aimlessly during daytime while at nighttime, all he could think about was the overwhelming feeling of failure that lurked in his heart.

On one particular day, nearly a month after the whole 'battle-for-earth' thing, Loki found himself walking down a now familiar street and into a coffee shop. The man at the counter greeted him.

"What's up, Lo'," he said with a smile.

Loki merely nodded, giving a small smile in return. The shopkeepers of the area were used to the people displaced by the recent disaster coming in to relax. Loki had no money and therefore never purchased anything, but he enjoyed coming here because the reading material was freshly cycled out every Thursday night. He bent down to look at the spines of the books. He decided that "Clean Power: An Upcoming Future For Mankind" sounded better than "Twilight: Breaking Dawn." He sat down and began reading, without bothering to look at the cover. When he was about fifteen pages in, someone sat down in the seat across from his table.

"How do you like it so far?" a very familiar voice said. Loki tore his eyes from the printed words and peered over the book. He was face to face with Tony Stark. The goateed man just leaned back, smugly.

"I heard the guy that wrote it is unparalleled in intellect. A genius, I guess you could say." Loki just stared at him, feeling his cheeks burn. Surely this was a jest at him? Stark must have known who he was. This was too much of a coincidence. Stark took Loki's silence as ignorance. He cleared his throat.

"It's me. You know. Tony Stark? Billionaire, philanthropist..." he awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck. "Sooo... you come here often?"

"I come every Thursday to partake in the literature so graciously lent free of charge." Loki decided to play along. Maybe his disguise really was fooling Stark. The other man leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table.

"Are you from around here?" he inquired, curiously.

"I don't see how that is any of your business." Loki's brow knit in annoyance. Maybe if he pushed a bit, the idiot would leave. "I hardly know you or know why you are here bothering me for the matter." He opened the book once more and pretended to be interested in it.

"Well I was on my way to meet a group of friends at the Shawarma joint next door. It's kind of our get-together spot." He scratched at his goatee.

"And what exactly does that have to do with me?"

"As I was walking by I saw someone gorgeous so I came in."

"Oh? What a pity you missed said person. Next time don't stop to bother me with your trivialities." Loki continued to stare at the same sentence.

"That's the thing. I'm talking to the person right now." The man leaned in on his hand, his eyes half-lidded. Loki's eyes widened. Was this really happening? Was he actually being hit on by one of his enemies? The god stifled the urge to laugh. He was about to reply with some sort of rude remark, when he saw something horrifying through the window. Thor and Bruce Banner were walking down the street towards the cafe. Stark must have noticed the change in Loki's demeanor, and turned around to see exactly what he was staring at.

"Oh, my friends are here!" he must have assumed that Loki was starstruck, because within a moment he was hanging out the coffee shop door motioning for his allies to join him. The hairs on the back of Loki's neck stood on end. He knew that his brother would recognize him. When Tony turned around, the chair Loki had been sitting in was empty. He looked around and saw that the door to the men's restroom was closing.

Loki closed the stall and locked it. He attempted to reach into himself to gain enough magic to teleport. There was none. He thought about just staying there until they left, but he couldn't risk going out there again. Loki looked around for an option. Above the toilet was a small window. It would have to do. He stood on the toilet seat and pulled himself up into the window. When he got halfway through, he couldn't fit anymore. Either his pants were stuck on something or his hips were too wide. He idly wondered if he had gotten fat. Behind him, he heard a door open and close. He began to pull himself more desperately. What if someone found him like this? He would have to explain himself. They would think he had stolen or something worse. Loki tried to look back to see what exactly was the problem, when he heard someone cough in front of him. He slowly turned to look. Tony Stark was standing in the alleyway, a bemused look on his face.

"I've had people run from my advances before, but never this desperately." He said. Loki felt humiliated. "But then again, if it were me you were running from, you would have just used the front door. So you must have been running from someone else. Oh, I dunno... one of my buddies, perhaps?" This was it. This was the end. Loki felt utterly horrified that he was going to be caught this way, hanging out the window of a bathroom.

"But I'll tell you what. Since I haven't heard of any super villains on the loose I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you go. But on one condition." He leaned forward so that he was close enough to whisper. "You have to go on a date with me."

Loki's face flared red. "E-Excuse me? I'd rather choke and die on my mother's own-"

"Okay, then. I guess I will go get my friends to help you get out of here, and then we'll see what's going on with-"

"OKAY. All right." Loki swallowed, his face still red. "I'll go on a... _date_ with you." Tony Stark gave a big smile before walking closer to the window. He took a pocket-knife out of his jeans and cut Loki's belt loop free of the window's lock. The billionaire then put his arm's under Loki's armpits and pulled him free of the window. When Loki's feet landed, they were in a compromising position that had Tony grinning. Loki pushed him away and began brushing himself off.

"I'll pick you up in front of this place tomorrow, got it? I'm thinking... six o'clock? And don't try to skip out on our date, either. Or I'll have my entire team out looking for you." He pointed a finger at Loki, who sneered. "See you then..." he paused, indicating he wanted Loki to give his name.

"Loren." He said.

"Loren." Tony smiled. He then turned heel and walked out of the alley towards the restaurant he told his friends he would be at momentarily. Loki watched him leave, wondering what sort of horrible mess he had just signed himself up for.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh man, Oh man. I have been on such a Loki binge it's not even funny. My Tumblr is exploding. I attempted drawing him the other day and it didn't go well. I've had this story floating around in my head since I first saw Avengers, so here we go.

The lyrics in the beginning are from the song "Human" by Ellie Goulding.

Hopefully I can update more this week when I'm not working.

Thanks for reading! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Human, I wonder why you're a better make  
Than I could ever build or create,  
You know not love or hate  
I am so scared of what will kill me in the end for I am not prepared,_

_I hope I will get the chance to be someone_

A very full Tony Stark leaned back into his chair. Everyone at the table was staring at him. "What? Have you all finally come to realize how lucky you are to have such an attractive asset to the team? It's all right if you want to stare. Sometimes I catch myself in the rear-view and I have to pull over just to catch my breath."

"Actually, I was going to mention how this is the first time you've finished your food before everyone because normally you're making an arrogant ass out of yourself." Steve replied, matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I was wondering why I didn't have the headache that usually accompanies these lunches." Natasha nodded, while making a face that seemed to say 'not bad.' Next to her, Bruce was smiling, while playing with the straw in his drink. Tony frowned, looking at him.

"Go ahead, Banner. You may as well join the 'we-hate-Tony-cause-he's-perfect club."

"I just find it amusing that you can always manage to make everyone angrier than me." he chuckled. Tony scoffed and turned his nose to the air with mock offense. Thor laughed heartily, food still in his mouth.

"You _were _rather quiet, my friend. Are you well?" Tony gave Thor a half-glare because the god was stifling a laugh, _very_ poorly.

"I'm fine! Why are you all so obsessed with me? Jeez." He threw his hands up in the air, exasperatedly.

"He met someone." Clint interjected, while pointing at Tony with his fork, his cheek full of food.

"That is grand news!" Thor grinned brightly at Tony from across the table.

"What? Weren't you dating that one chick? The one that practically lives with you?" Natasha raised a brow at him accusingly. Bruce looked up, swallowing some food.

"Hey guys, that reminds me, remember that bet we had that I couldn't find an equation that would accurately predict the length of Tony's relationships? Well the other day, I had an interesting breakthrough-"

"WOAHWOAHWOAH." Tony threw his hands on the table hard to get everyone's attention. Apparently he had stood up at some point. "First of all, my relationship with Pepper or with ANYONE for that matter is none of your business. Secondly, you guys are assholes. And thirdly," he sat down and narrowed his eyes at Bruce. "No one could properly predict Tony the Tiger. It would be like trying to contain the Big Bang itself." They all stared at him for a good five seconds before turning back to each other to squabble over what to call the equation.

"Guys, come on. Let's talk about something _besides_ me." Tony tried changing the subject. "You know, maybe about something important? Thor, have you heard anything about your brother Rudolph?"

"I have no brother of such name... There are only two sons of Odin, Stark. You should know this!" Thor looked both confused and offended. Tony sighed, shaking his head.

"Nevermind. I meant Loki. Any news on him?" He leaned back, feeling a headache forming. The god donned a deep-set frown.

"No... No one has been able to locate him. It is usually an easy task, but he must be in a very weakened state, for we cannot locate his signature."

"Signature? How are you able to see someone's signature?" Bruce asked, curious.

"Through his use of magic. Heimdall is able to locate him by sensing it."

"Well there hasn't been any trouble since he disappeared. Maybe he couldn't handle the defeat?" Steve pushed his plate away, as he was finished.

"No," Clint spoke up. "He'd definitely want revenge." The table became awkwardly quiet and Tony almost regretting bringing it up due to the heartbreaking look on Thor's face.

* * *

_"Loki! Brother!" A small child, no more than nine years of age, ran grinning through the Imperial palace halls of Asgard. When he finally reached his brother, his golden locks were plastered to his sweat slicked face. Despite his heavy breathing, his smile never faltered. "I've just heard tale of the most wondrous beast!" The other boy, looked to be the complete opposite of his brother, in both demeanor and physical appearance. He quirked a dark brow. _

_ "Oh? Don't tell me you were eavesdropping on the huntsmen again." The dark-haired boy tried to hide his smile. The fair-haired one sheepishly looked away with guilt, before he remembered the task at hand and grabbed his brother's hand excitedly. _

_ "The beast! They were telling of how they had tried many times to slay the creature, but it had outsmarted each warrior that came for it. It is too clever for anyone to defeat. It is said to be of huge proportion, with scales akin to a dragon's. The antlers it has are as tall as the gatekeeper himself." His eyes were big as he spoke of the animal. "They called it 'Bilgesnipe.'" The dark-haired boy tried to remember if he had read of such a creature in the bestiary that was currently on the desk in his room. "Brother," the fair-haired boy began, interrupting his thoughts, "I wish to be the first warrior to slay this creature!"_

* * *

_ A teenage boy ran through the thick forest, his red cape billowing behind him. "Sif! Where?" he bellowed out to a girl who seemed to be around the same age. She was looking around wildly, as though something had vanished into thin air. A large, heavy-set youth called over to them. _

_ "Thor!" a giant animal had seemingly poofed into existence and was towering over the red-head. The thing raised a large hoof and brought it down in attempt to smash him, but the large boy brought up his axe to block it. His heels dug into the ground from the force, but he held the hoof in place easily. Sif had taken the time to ready her bow and shot an arrow into the thing's chest. It gave a horrible cry and staggered backwards. She aimed and fired a second, which imbedded itself into the beast's hind leg. Volstagg took this chance to swing his axe. The animal had already begun to disappear and the swing seemingly went straight through its ghosted front leg. _

_ Thor grit his teeth and turned to see his brother perched on a large boulder. Loki had grown to be tall and lean. The differences in appearance were more defined now. Unlike Thor, who was barrel-chested and muscular, he was sinewy with a look of elegance to him, even as he sat in his crouched position on the rock. "Loki. The beast is clever, but you are more so. You can locate him, I know it to be true." His brother gave him a determined nod, before vanishing. Thor turned to his warrior friends. "Keep searching!" _

_ Loki reappeared in a serene part of the forest. Everything was silent save the small noises of the forest creatures that were always present. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. He could feel it. The creature was giving off a signature, as all magical beings did, although it seemed very weak. The god opened his eyes and walked forward until he reached a large bush. He pushed the shrubbery out of the way to reveal a rounded clearing amongst the leaves. Loki held his breath at the sight. The injured creature was there, licking an open gash on its leg. Apparently Volstagg's blow had sliced him before he was fully intangible. Around it were three large eggs, bundled up in dried grass and branches. This was its nest. He stepped back in awe, and the beast lifted its head to look directly at the prince. Loki found that he couldn't move. It wasn't fear that kept him there, but something else... Its eyes contained intelligence. He was looking into the eyes of the animal, and the animal was looking right back into his. They kept eachother's gaze as Loki approached closer. The creature remained still as the god reached out to touch its long, twin horns. _

_ It was beautiful. _

_ "Loki!" Thor's unmistakable voice boomed from beyond the trees, breaking the spell in Loki's mind. He stepped out of the nest and looked towards Thor's call, then back to the Bilgesnipe. After a moment's thought, he vanished and reappeared next to Thor. The golden-haired prince smiled at his brother. _

_ "I am sorry, brother. I have failed you. The beast is nowhere to be found." Loki spoke, a sadness to his eyes. Thor's face fell. He turned to his tired friends. _

_ "Friends, let us go. We will hunt again when we are rested." The warriors all nodded and followed Thor as he walked towards the forest entrance. Loki stood there for a moment, watching his brother walk with a defeated demeanor to him. His heart stung. This was the first time he had ever lied to Thor. _

* * *

Loki's entire body spasmed awake. His hair was messy and slick with sweat. This was the fifth night in a row that he had been unable to get any rest due to the nightmares that plagued him. There were circles under his eyes, but they weren't heavily noticeable. The god had suffered through worse things in his life and as annoying the lack of sleep was, it certainly wasn't devastating. With an irritated sigh, he stood and shuffled his way to the public bathrooms in the corner of the gymnasium. After relieving himself, he walked to the sink to wash his hands and frowned upon the reflection gazing back at him. He had taken on many different forms before, but this one had to be his least favorite. It just was so haphazardly done. Not to mention the standard of living. Being homeless meant he had to take whatever clothes were given to him and they hung loosely from his body. Some stubble had begun to speckle his chin as well. As he leaned in to get a better look at the circles under his eyes, a voice came from the right of him.

"Here, I think this will match your skin tone." Loki turned to see a young woman, probably in her middle twenties. Her arm was extended towards him. He looked down at her hand to see that she was holding out a plastic case for him to take. With some caution, he took the item and stared at it. The girl continued to speak as he opened the device to see that it was a container for Midgardian make-up. "I've seen you wake up the past few nights and figured it would start to show. I used to have a lot of bad dreams too, but people won't bother you with questions if you hide it." She gave him a smile, as though she knew they had something in common, before walking out. Loki stared down at the make-up in his hand. He laughed because he thought it was funny that he was in such a bad state that he had to take advice from a young female mortal and because he had realized that he had been using the women's restroom for a week and no one had said anything.

* * *

"He's late." Loki said to himself as he leaned back against the wall of the coffee shop. He couldn't even believe he was there. A part of him had considered leaving town and finding a cave to live in, but he knew Stark would somehow find him. And he doubted it was normal for mortals to completely leave their dwellings just to avoid a date. The trickster in him tried to convince him that it might be fun, (Perhaps he could toss a cricket into Stark's drink or get him to drunk enough to the point that he would wake up naked in a barn next to a horse,) but he was just so tired. The make-up the girl had given him had worked its magic, making Loki appear to be fine. He forced himself not to slouch as a black limousine pulled up to the curb. The god blanched. Stark was going to make this as horrible as possible for him, wasn't he? The bastard. Sure enough, the last door opened and Tony Stark stepped out grinning his billion-dollar smile.

"Normally I don't go all out on the first date, but I could tell that you like it classy." Loki just gave him a look as though he were an idiot. "Okay, okay, so maybe I do flaunt my money around to get a chance with someone, but who wouldn't? Plus, I didn't want to be distracted with driving," he gestured for Loki to step into the car. The man obliged and ducked down through the door to his oncoming nightmare.

"So, where to?" Tony asked, smiling. "Anywhere you want." Loki couldn't think of anywhere that sounded remotely interesting to him.

"I don't particularly care." he replied, honestly. Tony pursed his lips together in thought. Loki took the time to look around the interior. The seats were soft black leather and there was a flatscreen TV across from them. Below that was a mini-fridge that no doubt held Stark's alcohol supply. Tony snapped his fingers in epiphany and Loki turned to look at him.

"I got it. The zoo. You have that look." he pressed the intercom button. "Happy, take us to the zoo, please." The car began moving forward. Loki looked baffled.

"Look? What look?"

"You look like you like animals. I can tell. It's in your eyes." he winked. Loki felt somewhat alarmed at this. It was true that he did enjoy the company of animals over that of a person from any realm. He idly wondered if Stark possessed some magical ability to read him and then his mind wandered to the thought of Stark realizing his true identity and throwing him into the cage of some fierce Midgardian creature to be fed upon. By the time he snapped out of his reverie, the billionaire had scooted much closer to the god and was leaning towards him suggestively. Loki stiffened and leaned away.

"What _are_ you doing?" the god managed to get out.

"You were staring at me for a while there. I thought I'd get closer so you could examine me better." Loki could feel his face burning. He scoffed in an attempt to hide it.

"Are you always this brutishly forward?" Tony made no indication of pulling back.

"No, definitely not. But something in me tells me that you could handle it." For a moment, Loki felt something strange. He could see something reflected in Stark's eyes that he hadn't bothered to notice before. But what was it? The feeling was familiar, yet... unrecognizable. As Tony leaned closer, Loki was frozen in place. He wanted to blast the other man away with magic, yet at the same time, he longed to do nothing.

That was the part that truly scared him.

He realized at that moment that he no longer had any control of his life or even knew what he wanted. The Loki from less than a month ago would have taken the opportunity to kill Stark with any makeshift weapon he could find. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had never been that way before. He had always bide his time until the perfect opportunity arose for him to strike down his enemies. But during his battle with the Avengers, he had been reckless and brash and filled with an unbridled rage. This had been his downfall. Loki knew – had _always_ known – that he wasn't suited for purely physical combat. His strength was in his cunning and genius trickery. But why, then? Why had he cast all of his attributes aside and charged blindly into battle?

It all suddenly hit him. The scepter. Loki had used it to control the minds of highly-skilled mortals without grasping that all the while it had been controlling him as well. Of course it didn't have the same affect on him as it did the Midgardians, but it controlled him nonetheless, although in a different way. The scepter that Thanos had bestowed upon him had amplified his emotions tenfold. His anger and hatred towards Thor had completely blinded him. He would have stopped at nothing to quench his desire to be a fit king in his father's eyes. Loki felt nauseous. How weak could he possibly be? It was no wonder that Odin felt he was not worthy. He was no god. He was a joke.

Tony had noticed too late the chord he had struck with Loki. Without even thinking about it, he had wrapped his arms around the god and was stroking his hair, whispering soothing words to him. Loki made no sound as he sat there, slightly shaking, in his own world of thought. When he stopped moving, Tony propped the man up to make sure he hadn't just died or something. Nope. Just passed out. He reached over to press the intercom button again. "Change of plans, Happy. Can you take us to my place instead? Thanks." Tony leaned back into the leather, while still holding his date. He sighed. "Why do I always fall for the damaged ones?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Phweeee. I have been writing bits and pieces of this after work all week. I hope you guys are enjoying it. Please review with any comments!

Lyrics to "Human," by Ellie Goulding.

Also, if anyone wants to talk about Loki or the Avengers, you can add me on Tumblr or Skype. I use the same username for both that I use here. :]


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_I hope I will get the chance to be someone,  
To be human,  
Look what we've done,  
Look what we've done..._

"Oh my god, Tony, no. Please. Please tell me that's not a dead hooker." Pepper was standing by the wet bar on the top floor of Stark Tower, massaging her forehead from stress. Tony, who was currently carrying an unconscious Loki by the armpits, made a point to roll his eyes at her.

"Oh _please_, I would have at least called you to have a Persian rug ready for me." He headed towards his bedroom. "We'll just drop him in here, Happy." The driver nodded, guiding the rest of Loki's body through the doorway. After they laid him on the bed, Tony walked out while rubbing his palms together as if they were dusty. "Oookaayyy. Who wants to put him in jammies?" Pepper gave him a 'sometimes-I-can't-believe-you're-for-real' look.

"Are you even going to explain what's going on? Do I even want to know?" She had her hand on her hip in a way that made him feel like she was going to punish him for something. He decided to take the safe route and just come clean.

"His name is Loren, he is- _was_ my date. He just passed out from fatigue. I think."

"And you don't find that unusual?"

"I'm pretty sure he's homeless. I've seen him leave the coffee shop a few times before. He always goes into the emergency shelter at that high school a few blocks down. They probably don't feed him well and I doubt they have comfortable beds. I'd feel like shit too."

"So you stalked a guy, probably because you thought he was hot, and then he conveniently passed out in your car. I wonder if I should have JARVIS check him for any trace of Rufies..." She shook her head at him in mock disappointment.

"I don't need any benzodiazepines to render my dates unconscious. Have you _seen_ my smile? It's enough to knock out a god." He huffed, before turning heel to head to his workshop. "JARVIS, notify me if our guest wakes up."

"Depending on the dosage of Flunitrazepam, it may be quite some time." The AI responded. Tony threw his hands up in the air as he entered the elevator.

"My entire staff!" He shoved his hands in his pockets with an exaggerated pout as the elevator doors closed. Pepper couldn't help but laugh. She turned to Happy, smiling.

"Being on a team is really opening him up, don't you think?"

* * *

_Loki strode towards the main hall where he was to meet Thor. They were to return to the forest in a second attempt to hunt the creature whose head his brother so blindly sought after. Perhaps there was a way to convince Thor that the being wasn't a mindless brute? That he was just a misunderstood thing, hunted by idiots that wanted to prove their muscle's worth. Surely Thor, out of anyone, would understand his plea. _

_ When he arrived at the hall, there was no sign of Thor, Sif, or the Warriors Three anywhere. For a moment, he idly wondered if he had arrived early or late, but no. Loki was always very good with time, so unless Thor gave him the incorrect time-_

_ "They have already left, Loki." The prince's head turned towards the unmistakeable voice of his father. Odin must have stepped out from behind one of the pillars. Loki felt a looming sense of dread. _

_ "...was I too late? Thor told me he would-" his words were interrupted. They always were. _

_ "I had them leave without you." His voice was always so sure and strong. There was never any falter, any doubt that everything he said was true and right. _

_ "But Father, why?" Loki's voice faltered._

_ "Because. Magic has no place in the hunter's game. Magic is used for deception, illusion. Hunters have no need of this."_

_ "Why? Be-Because it is for the hunted? The ones weaker physically? The ones who are always chased and tormented?" He clenched his hands into fists at his side._

_ "No, Loki. You were meant for other things. You would only be in their way." _

_ Loki swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. _

_ "Of course." _

* * *

_Loki pushed through the massive crowd that had formed to greet the returning Asgardians. They were all cheering, some chanting the name of his brother. He had to duck down to get past all of the men that had formed a tight circle. As he finally broke free, Loki wondered why he had been cursed with such a thin frame when it seemed almost all the other men on Asgard were built for battle._

_ A gasp of disbelief left his lips before he knew it. Thor was standing with his back facing Loki, hammer raised high in the air to the praise he was receiving. In front of him was the carcass of the Bilgesnipe. The body was thrown haphazardly on the floor, its neck twisted at an unnatural angle. There was blood matting the majority of its furred head, and there were many plates missing from its scaled body. The animal _was_ huge. The warriors must have dragged it home, half on their backs. Loki found himself reaching forward, in the same manner he had when he met the poor thing for the first time. His shaky fingertips barely grazed the horns before he recoiled with an intense sense of wrong. Everything about this was wrong. Everyone here would remember this creature, but not for its majesty or grace or intelligence. They would only remember its death; Thor's victory. But not Loki. He would __always remember this creature for what it truly was._

_ As Thor turned around to smile at the rest of the crowd, he saw the back of his brother retreating into it. He was heading for the blacksmith, to keep his silent promise. _

* * *

Loki awoke to an annoying headache. For a while, he didn't move, having no will to get up. He then realized that the bed he was laying in was much comfier than the cot he had gotten used to sleeping in and opened his eyes. This was definitely not the high school cafeteria. Very slowly, he sat up, trying to recall exactly how he had gotten here. Ah, yes. Stark.

"Good morning, Sir." the wall said. Loki jumped a bit, startled. The wall in question suddenly lit up with a display of the news and weather. The god just stared at it, somewhat horrified.

"...good morning... wall?" he said dubiously.

"You may call me JARVIS, Sir. I am here to assist you in any way you'd like." Loki moved to the edge of the bed, his feet touching the floor. He got to his feet, albeit rather wobbly, and walked over to the wall to touch it.

"Are you sentient?" He asked, disturbed at the prospect that he might be inside a living being.

"Pff, as if." Tony was in the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest. "He's already snarky enough as it is, I can't even imagine what he'd be like if he had free range thoughts and a body."

"Probably a bit more favorable than you, Sir." the AI quipped. Tony began to wonder how JARVIS kept getting better comebacks. Curse the internet.

"He is one of your machines?" Loki asked, still curious about it.

"Well, yes and no. It's kind of hard to explain..." Tony had walked over to Loki during the debate with JARVIS and was now leading him back to the bed. "You should be resting. I ordered some food. It should be here soon." The taller man silently obeyed, as he still felt rather weak.

"There we go. HYUGHHH." Tony threw himself belly-first onto the bed next to him. "Wanna see what's on TV? I have every channel there is." He positioned himself against the headboard so he was sitting level with Loki. The remote was magically in Tony's hand already. He pressed a button and the wall opened up to reveal a 60" flatscreen TV. The god raised an eyebrow. He had never actually watched television. Of course he knew what it was, but in concept only.

Tony flipped through the channels for at least a good ten minutes. "There's never anything good on – WAIT." He went back to the channel he had just passed to see himself in anime form. "Oh god. I didn't even know this existed."

The anime-style Tony raised his hand in the air dramatically before placing it over his arc reactor. It in turn burst with light and suddenly the animated Tony was a nude silhouette. As he bent in ways Tony himself knew he could never achieve in reality flexibility wise, pieces of the Iron Man suit clamped onto different parts of his body until he was fully suited up and struck a final action pose.

"I have. The weirdest boner right now." Tony said, his face a strange mixture of amusement and horror. Loki's eyes flickered to Tony's pants and saw no such thing. He wondered if this is what Midgardians did all day to entertain themselves.

As the episode progressed, Tony made a comment about how this was the only re-enactment of him that was able to catch the proper amount of sparkle in his eyes. Loki felt the corners of his mouth tugging up in a small smile. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was actually enjoying this.

At the end of the episode, the animated Tony had some sort of flashback to a memory of his father happily playing with him. It made the real-life Tony incredibly uncomfortable. Loki noticed his twitching and looked at him. "Is there something wrong?"

The shorter man tore his gaze away from Loki. "It's nothing..." He tried to get out easily, but the other man waited for him to continue. "...It's just inaccurate," he mumbled. Loki snorted.

"Well I should hope so. Anyone that puts on their armor like that would probably get killed before it was all pieced together." he was smiling.

"I was... never close to my father that way." he found himself admitting suddenly. He felt his pulse quicken and his cheeks burn. In his opinion, letting his feelings loose was never a good thing to do. He began to wonder if he should get up and run, when the other man's hand slid over his in a comforting gesture.

"Well that's his loss, I suppose." Tony looked up at him as he continued to speak. "I was never close with my father either. In his eyes my brother and I were each meant for a single purpose that we were not to stray from. He would always remind me of my place." Loki was staring vacantly at the TV screen. An ache had risen itself up into his chest, but he paid it no attention. It was always there.

"Sounds like a big dick to me." Tony deadpanned. Loki blinked a few times before he turned to Tony and began to laugh. Real, hearty laughter. Nothing fake or menacing or sarcastic or anything that Loki had grown so used to. It almost made him want to cry.

* * *

Loki reached over and took the remote out of Tony's limp hand. He squinted in the TV's light at all the buttons on it. After a good five minutes, he pressed the one labeled 'power' and the flatscreen flickered to black. Carefully, he set the remote on the nightstand next to him. There were boxes of Chinese take-out littering the floor around the bed, a few of them still half-full. Loki spent a long moment, unmoving, just taking in the moment. He couldn't remember a time where he had felt so carefree and good. With a soft smile, he turned his head to watch Tony's slow, even breathing as he slept, still propped up against the bed's headboard. Loki found himself leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on the shorter man's temple before he settled in next to the other man, his head nestled on Tony's shoulder. As he drifted into sleep, his small smile was highlighted by the pale glow of the arc reactor.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hyeeeep. Sorry for the short chapter! I just got promoted to service technician at my job and I have to study for my certification tests. In short, I have been super busy! (And also strapped for cash. If anyone is interested in fanfic commissions, the details are on my profile page.) Thank you so much for reading. I love getting feedback from everyone. :)


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